


What a Family is About

by littlecupkate



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (kinda), Child Tom Riddle, Dysfunctional Family, Gen, Good Albus Dumbledore, Manipulative Tom Riddle, Parent Severus Snape, Parent-Child Relationship, Room of Requirement, psycho child tom riddle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:54:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23429554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlecupkate/pseuds/littlecupkate
Summary: Neither Tom or Severus have any idea how to be part of a family. They make it work, more or less, anyway.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore & Tom Riddle, Severus Snape & Tom Riddle | Voldemort
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42
Collections: Corona Challenge





	What a Family is About

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [CoronaChallenge](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/CoronaChallenge) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> This time, Severus hoped Albus really was just pulling a sick, sick joke on him. But no. The old goat actually pulled a child out from behind him and asked him to take care of it. Severus didn't even know how to enjoy himself, let alone take care of a four year old!

The Room of Requirement always provided for its occupants. Always. As long as the occupant was alive and had a need, it would do its level best to gift it to them. As the Room of Requirement was based on very, very complicated magic and part of a very, very old and powerful semi-sentient castle, it did not often need to do its best to see its purpose fulfilled. If a plant somehow walked in, it would find itself potted in soil rich in nutrients it needed with the correct amount of water provided before it even started drooping. If a cat came in, it would have all the fish needed to satisfy it, toys to entertain it, and plenty of sunny spots to stretch out in. If a dog wandered in, the Room would provide it a human companion, the best human companion, of course, one who knew exactly where to scratch and when to take them for walks, and that called them ‘Good boy!’  
If a horcrux was residing in the Room of Requirement, well, the Room would endeavor to take care of its needs as well.   
So when Voldemort’s soul ping-ponged between horcruxes before finally settling in Albania, the Room knew that the horcrux needed to fulfill its purpose. So it got to work, actually needing to try its best to fulfill this occupant’s need.   
The thing is, necromancy and resurrection was not an easy thing for anybody, especially when both participants did not have a body. So it was slow-going. The Room created a body for the soul to occupy, using a dead body someone stored in the Room of Hidden Things. It then needed to suit the body to the soul then slowly age the body up to the horcrux’s age.   
The thing about Tom Riddle is that he is not very patient. At age two, he started wobbling around the Room to investigate. (The Room wished it could put knowledge of what was dangerous in his head but his brain wouldn’t comprehend or accept those memories yet.) At age three, he could not find anything exciting anymore. (That was a tough year for the Room, feeding its magic into Baby Riddle and moving its contents around so he did not die again.) At age four, he found the door to main Hogwarts and promptly exited.   
(The Room of Requirement promptly lost any purpose and blinked out of existence until it was next needed.) 

That was how Albus Dumbledore found himself staring down at a miniature Tom Riddle, red eyes and all. The Headmaster felt taken back by what Hogwarts had presented him. Tom Riddle felt taken back by the bright colors the Headmaster was wearing. “Who are you?” His voice was quiet, but had the same commanding edge as when Dumbledore met him at eleven.   
“Headmaster Albus Dumbledore,” The old man bent down, his knees reluctant, to be closer the child’s level. “Who are you?”  
“Tom Marvolo Riddle,” The four-year old replied, secretly proud that he could pronounce everything without that awful childish lisp he used to have. “Did Mrs. Cole give me to you? I think I would remember if she did,” Tom muttered the last sentence under his breath, “Did you kidnap me? Not that I’m whining if you did. It’s really fine! I can be a great son!”   
Dumbledore blinked, surprised that Tom was infusing his words with the compulsion to care for him rather than bow down to him. But he supposed even Voldemort must have once wanted a family. Or at least someone to take him out of Wool’s. “No, no, I did not kidnap you, Mr. Riddle. Mrs. Cole asked me to take you because I know a friend that would love to adopt you!”  
“Then why didn’t you know my name?”   
Good question, especially for a four year old.   
“Never mind that, I’ll take you to my friend now.” Dumbledore scooped up the child, even as old as he was a four year old was still easily liftable, and started to hum as he took Tom down to the dungeons. Either not seeing or ignoring the look Tom was giving him. 

Severus Snape stared at the child. The child stared back. Both of turned to stare at the Headmaster.   
Dumbledore beamed.   
Snape turned to look at the child again, “You want be to look after the brat?”   
Dumbledore frowned, as did Tom. “No, Severus, don’t you remember telling me about the child you adopted! I found him wandering around and so guided him here!” His eyes twinkled as he winked.   
Snape sighed, “Why does he have red eyes?”   
“Tom’s albino.” Dumbledore answered quickly,  
“He has black hair.”   
“He’s a very odd albino.” Dumbledore clapped his hands together, “Well, I’ll just let you two get to know each other!” He turned and hurried away, somehow disappearing before Snape or Tom could ask him any questions. 

Snape stared at the child. It stared back at him. Maybe actually glared back at him. “Why did the Headmaster bring you here?”   
“Why, Father, are you getting rid of me so early?” Tom gasped dramatically. He finally understood sarcasm and loved using it.   
“Brat,” Snape grunted and turned back to his private lab. “Sit in the corner and don’t touch anything.”   
Tom crossed his arms petulantly but did as his new ‘father’ asked. Asked because the only other thing that he could have done was commanded and nobody bosses Tom Marvolo Riddle around. 

A week later, Tom tearfully confessed to Professor Pomona Sprout that he was sure his father hated him. He had met the other professors at some staff dinners that Dumbledore forced Snape to drag him too and decided that she would be best to tell his sob story too. Snape would have strangled him for that stunt but there was suddenly all these eyes on him watching how he treated the monster, making sure he was showing his ‘son’ how much he loved him.   
(“It’s a great gift you’ve been given,” Dumbledore said wishfully, “I have heard fatherhood is the greatest gift a man can get.”  
“If it is such a gift why did you not keep the brat for yourself?”  
“Don’t be silly, Severus. I’m much too old to raise a son at this age!”) 

“You gave me Baby Voldemort!” Severus screamed at Dumbledore not even a year later. Tom was off with the Defense Against Dark Arts professor of the year. He found this one’s continuous bad luck to be amusing and liked following him around to see how he barely escaped his death each time.   
“Severus, don’t be silly. There are plenty of parselmouths that are not Voldemort. Why I-“  
“Are you telling me the red-eyed, parselmouth child you shoved onto me is not Voldemort?”   
Dumbledore gave him a serious look, “Right now that child is Tom Marvolo Riddle. A poor orphan who is supposed to be looking up to his adoptive father. And I have to say, Severus, you are not being the role model I thought you would be.”  
“You gave me Baby Voldemort.” Snape repeated in disbelief, “Now you’re saying I’m a poor role model for Baby Voldemort.” He scoffed, “As if a good role model would fix everything wrong with him.”  
“Maybe not everything.” Dumbledore conceded, “But perhaps a better upbringing might change his focus to something less destructive. Maybe if he is shown love, he might not be so angry, even if he cannot feel love.”   
Snape stormed out of his office. He grabbed Tom right before he was about to trip the DADA professor down the stairs. Less destructive, his boot. Although, good role model. Now that was an idea.   
“He’s your responsibility for the rest of the day.” Snape grabbed the first prefect he came across, “Be a good role model.” He sneered and walked away, leaving Bill Weasley with the five-year-old. 

Bill Weasley wanted to be a curse-breaker and he had enough siblings that he knew not to talk down to someone just because they were younger than him. Needless to say, he and Tom got along great. Bill didn’t actually teach him any spells but he did give Tom ideas. Very, very good ideas. Who know a five-year-old could figure out how to mimic a vicious Old Egyptian curse?   
If Voldemort knew, he would find it a laugh that his younger self was the manifestation of the DADA curse that year. Nobody knew, however. To suspect a five-year-old of such skill was ludicrous.  
Dumbledore still suggested that Snape keep a better eye on his son. Also, his ‘accidental’ magic was getting a bit dangerous for those on his bad-side so perhaps Severus could help him get control of that?   
He then turned around and gifted Tom a ball python that the young boy was immediately taken with. So taken, in fact, that he named the snake ‘Al.’ After all, Dumbledore was a bit crazy and definitely had no idea what a good guardian would be but he always indulged Tom and gave him new books to read that he actually liked! For some reason, everyone else disliked parseltongue but Dumbledore didn’t and could actually understand it! It was cool even though he couldn’t speak it and Tom still had to watch his words around him. 

“Dumbledore told me to help you get a handle on your accidental magic. I don’t know how he expects someone as young as you to possibly have that much understanding and discipline but nevertheless, what the Headmaster says must be followed.” Snape sighed, “Sit down.”  
Tom narrowed his eyes, “Ask politely.” His magic influenced his words to make it a compulsion but Snape’s mind shields made it so he didn’t even feel the compulsion.   
“As your father you have to listen to me,” Snape answered, “Sit down. Now, brat.”   
“What the Headmaster says must be followed,” Tom sat down, “What are you supposed to teach me then?” He was not giving up the secret of his wandless magic.   
“How to control your emotions.” Snape sneered then started to teach him Occlumency exercises.   
Tom found his manner rude and would have gone crying to a professor again (maybe even the Headmaster...) but what Snape was teaching him was actually useful. He earned a pass.... this time. 

Snape was surprised at Tom’s progress and ended the lessons after two years. By then, Tom had learned that Snape would not treat him as a kid and could teach him almost as much as Dumbledore. The minute Snape said “Get out of here, brat.” Tom took himself up to the Headmaster’s office.  
“Thank you, sir.”  
“Whatever for, Tom?”   
Tom shifted back and forth hesitantly. By now he knew Dumbledore somehow saw through his acts but it was still habit to use them and the Headmaster seemed amused, not offended or angry. “You made Father have to spend time with me. It was... nice,” And during the last few months the lessons were actually enjoyable. “Could... could you do that again?”   
“Why don’t you ask your father about it? I’m sure he would love to share his passion for potions with you.”   
“I did, sir.” Tom frowned, “He said that his was not going to let another imbecile near a cauldron when he’s not even being paid for it.” Dumbledore also frowned and Tom hastily started talking again, afraid that the Headmaster would decide to take his new knowledge inventory away from him, “I think he’s just mean automatically but I still don’t feel good about asking Father again.”   
“I can oblige the request but just this once. You two need to learn to communicate with each other.”  
“Thank you, sir!” Tom nearly skipped out of the Headmaster’s office. Even if he could convince ‘father’ on his own, he deserved being reprimanded by the Headmaster for calling Tom a brat.   
He and his father might not get along but if his father taught him all he wanted to know then Tom would stop defaming him. A mutually beneficial agreement. And that’s what families were all about, right?

**Author's Note:**

> In case it wasn't clear, by the way, Snape is not an abusive or neglectful parent at all. He provides for all of Tom's basic needs, gives him birthday presents, tries to teach him good morals, and all that stuff. He just has no idea whatsoever how to interact with young children, yet alone a young Voldemort so he is not emotionally available at all. Tom still thinks of him as his father because he does provide and take care of him and frankly, he has no idea that there is anything else he should be doing. Just because he had a better upbringing does not mean he is a normal child. Dumbledore dotes on Tom to try to mitigate his more destructive qualities. For example, when he gives Tom the snake it is because ball pythons are typically an ideal starter pet and not dangerous so he is hoping Tom doesn't suddenly find an aggressive, venomous snake to carry around since he's already got Al. Same with providing Tom books above his usual reading level. So far, Tom has no idea that he was Voldemort or that he traveled in time at all because he has not been out in the muggle world to see the difference. 
> 
> I might add another chapter on with really just some notes of what would happen next (because I don't have inspiration to write the rest as a story) but I'm marking it as complete because, well, it is (and I might not get around to it.) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
